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ROXANA – Civic Memorial's girls volleyballers had a challenge to open their 2017 campaign Monday night at the Lady Shell Volleyball Tournament in Roxana.
They took on what Eagle coach Amanda Biggs called three “hustle teams, scrappy teams” and came away with three wins to move into the championship bracket from their group as CM upended Mount Olive 25-14, 25-22; Gillespie 25-17, 25-14; and backyard rival East Alton-Wood River 25-16, 25-23. They'll play their bracket semifinal match against the Group C winner (Valmeyer, Marquette Catholic, Piasa Southwestern or McGivney Catholic) at noon Saturday at Larry Milazzo Gym, with the final set for 2 p.m. Saturday.
“We had three good wins tonight,” Biggs said. “It's been an interesting transition; we're so used to running a 5-1 system, and now going into a 6-2 with running two setters – it's been a transition, but the girls are doing pretty well.”
The Eagles are moving into a 6-2 offense because they have stronger hitters, Biggs feels. “It's a different look for us and with the personnel that we have, that's what's going to make us successful.”
Biggs was pleased to get off to a 3-0 start on the year. “I'm definitely pleased with the three wins, but a little disappointed with the service errors we had,” Biggs said. “Those are things we can definitely control and work on, so we'll get better. We knew we were going to have mistakes; this is a transition period right now. I'm so pleased with the work they've put in, the effort that they're giving and how badly they want it, and they want to be successful.”
Biggs knows that the Mississippi Valley Conference is going to be a difficult league. “It is (the MVC) going to be difficult, and I'm excited that we get to start off with this tournament just because we get some matches under our belts and get that court experience before we head into the Valley,” Biggs said.
The Eagles got off to a 8-2 lead on the Miners before an exchange of points got CM to a 12-5 lead on Gillespie in the second game of their match with the Miners, Gillespie never getting closer than 13-8 and 19-12 before they closed out the match. Against the Oilers, CM could never really shake them off, especially in Game 2; EAWR stayed close to the Eagles and didn't go away as CM managed to find ways to hold them off to take the sweep.
The two area rivals will clash again in a regular-season match Thursday evening at EAWR's Memorial Gym. “I know they're going to be coming for us,” Biggs said. “It's always a great match against Wood River; they're so scrappy, they hustle, they have so much heart and they performed really well tonight.”
The Oilers also defeated the Miners 25-13, 25-20 and Mount Olive 25-23, 25-14 to go 2-1 on the evening and will play in the fifth-place bracket Saturday.
